Chapter 14 The soft chime of the flight attendant's announcement filled the cabin. Emmaline pressed her fingertips against the window, watching the world below shrink into a patchwork of tiny shapes. A bittersweet pang stirred in her chest, un- namable yet profound. In her past life, she'd given up this very opportunity to study abroad for Zachary. Later, as she watched her friends achieve success while she wasted away in quiet regret, a part of her always wondered what might have been. But she had convinced herself that as long as she and Zachary stayed in love, their lives would still be beautiful. She never imagined that her devotion would end in such a ridiculous, humiliating tragedy. The man she had loved all her life had never truly belonged to her. Now, all that remained in her heart for him was bitterness and hate. Sunlight poured through the clouds, gilding them in soft gold. The light fell warm across the back of her hand, and for a moment, her nose tingled with emotion. This time, she knew she had made the right choice. Up here in the sky, she felt as if all the suffocating pain from Juanita's false accusations and the patients' misunderstandings had been swept away. All she felt now was excitement for the new life awaiting her. She was lost in thought when the plane jolted suddenly. Her thermos, which had been sitting on the tray table, slid to- ward the aisle. Just before it fell, a slender hand reached out and caught it with perfect timing. "Careful," a warm voice said. She turned, meeting a pair of gentle, smiling eyes. The young man wore a simple white shirt, a thick textbook tucked under his arm. He handed her the thermos with a smile. "Are you heading abroad for school too?" "How'd you guess?" Emmaline asked, surprised. Her fingers brushed his as she took the cup, and a flush crept up cheeks as she quickly pulled back. her He nodded toward the acceptance letter resting on her lap, his eyes glinting with a warm smile. "I caught the universi- ty's name. I'm headed there myself." "No way! I heard there were only two of us going this time-what are the odds?" Emmaline's face lit up. She'd braced herself for a solo journey, so meeting a fellow student felt like a small gift. She extended her hand. "I'm Emmaline Walsh, clinical medicine." "Aldrich Harvey, pharmacology," he replied, his grip warm and firm. "I saw your name on the department files. You ranked first in clinical, right? That's impressive." Emmaline laughed, a bit shy. "You know about that? I just got lucky. What about you?" "Top of pharmacology," Aldrich said casually, without a hint of arrogance. "I read a few of your papers-your logic and experimental design are rock-solid. You've got me beat." Being praised by someone equally accomplished filled Emmaline with quiet pride. The tension in her heart eased, re- placed by a light, genuine warmth. They talked easily about their hopes for the future. Emmaline said she wanted to focus on clinical research, while Aldrich spoke about his dream of contributing to new drug development. Their goals 0.0 % 10:02 Chapter 14 288 iVouchers differed, but their passion for medicine resonated perfectly. When Emmaline mentioned her curiosity about foreign laboratories and her wish to visit museums nearby, Aldrich's face lit up. "I went abroad once for a conference," he said, pulling a neatly folded map from his bag. "A friend showed me around campus, and this is the route I sketched out. There's a famous bookstore near the campus. I can show you around when we arrive." The map was meticulously marked with colored pens, each spot labeled with neat notes. Emmaline's heart swelled at the thoughtfulness. "This is amazing! I'd have been totally lost without it." "No big deal," Aldrich said with a grin. "We're classmates now-gotta have each other's backs." He went on about the university's course schedule. "Some of our classes overlap with clinical medicine. Maybe we'll end up in the same lecture hall." Emmaline nodded, listening as he shared practical tips about campus life. His attention to detail and quiet confidence put her at ease, dissolving her worries about the unfamiliar. The more she learned about him, the more she found her- self drawn to his calm and genuine nature. 72.6 % 10:02 Chapter 13